Books › Musical Courier 1928-03-01: Vol 96 Iss 9, 1928 › scan 30
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Musical Courier 1928-03-01: Vol 96 Iss 9, 1928
61 lines. Read by computer on 28 September 2026. Printed page 31. See the scan on archive.org.
1March 1, 1928
2MUSICAL COURIER
4Spain's Distinguished Conductor Coming to America
6Enrique Fernandez Arbos, said to be the greatest personality among Spanish conductors today, is arriving in New York on March 10 to fulfill his engagement with the New York Symphony Orchestra. He has been asked to conduct five concerts, during the course of which he will bring out a number of works by leading Spanish composers.
8This visit will mark Arbos' first appearance in America as a conductor, although he is well known here as a violinist, notably as concertmaster of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
10Arbos was born the day before Christmas in 1863 in Madrid, where he now has his permanent home. At the age of fourteen he won the first prize for violin at the Madrid Conservatory and was then sent to Brussels on the scholarship of the Infanta Isabella. There he studied with Vieuxtemps and in 1879 won the Grand Prix. Joseph Joachim was present at the competition and invited the young violinist to continue his studies with him (Joachim) in Berlin.
12The great master introduced his protégé to the Berlin public by performing Bach's Double Concerto with him and shortly thereafter Arbos was engaged as concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic, a position which he held for two years.
14He left Berlin to accept a professorship at the Hamburg Conservatory, which he later exchanged for a similar position in Madrid at the request of his parents. After their death, however, he again left Spain, this time for England, where he soon became celebrated, especially through his joint concerts with his friend Albeniz, Spanish composer, with whom he went on long concert tours.
16These journeys were cut short by Arbos' becoming a professor at the Royal College of Music in London, and it was from there that he came to Boston as Franz Kneisel's successor.
18Besides his violinistic work, which he has since given up, Arbos was constantly active as a conductor, and just this year Madrid celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of his founding of the Symphony Orchestra there.
20Possessing an energetic spirit, he is not content with conducting his orchestra all winter in the capital and other Spanish cities but also has charge of the concert series at the Grand Casino in San Sebastian, where he has his summer home. Nor are his baton activities confined to the south of Europe. He is well known as an orchestral leader in London, where he has conducted in the Queen's Hall, the Albert Hall, Covent Garden and the Palladium, and in Paris. In the latter city he won enthusiastic praise from the critics, and especially Debussy, for his work at a great music festival held in the Champs-Elysées during the season of 1913-14.
22As a composer Arbos has produced but few works and on those he does not place a very high value. On the other hand his instrumentation of Albeniz' Iberia is most important, for he has entirely succeeded in transcribing this inspired but somewhat overburdened piano suite into a beautifully-sounding and masterfully executed orchestral work.
24Arbos' numerous activities have been widely recognized and high orders have been bestowed upon him in Spain, Portugal and France. He is a member of the Spanish Academy and an honorary member of the London Academy. His conducting is characterized by a fiery temperament and great precision, while in private life he is known as an amiable and highly cultured causer. His appearance in America is being awaited with pleasure.
25E. I.
27Philadelphia Orchestra Presents Varied Program
29Monteux Thrills Large Audience With His Masterly Conducting—Other Notes
31PHILADELPHIA, PA.—The Philadelphia Orchestra, under the leadership of Pierre Monteux, presented a varied program for the regular Friday and Saturday concerts, February 24 and 25, and the ninth Monday evening concert, February 27. The opening number was the Symphony in C major by Boccherini. It is scored for four flutes, four horns and strings, thus leaving many vacant places on the stage at the opening. The orchestration is not complicated, while the melodies and entire construction are quite simple in form. Its very simplicity and melodiousness held a charm, however, and the fine interpretation met with evident approval. The Andante Amoroso, and Tempo di Menuetto were particularly pleasing. As a direct contrast the following number was Debussy's masterpiece, La Mer, with its elaborate and involved orchestration, to say nothing of the modernity of harmonies. The three sections—From Dawn Till Noon on the Sea, Gambols of the Waves, and Dialogue of the Wind with the Sea, were all fascinating. Mr. Monteux, of course, is thoroughly at home in these French numbers, and gave an unusually beautiful interpretation of the entire work. The atmospheric element, so strong in Debussy's compositions, was abundantly evident here, especially in the first part.
33Following the intermission the audience had a treat in the performance of the Mendelssohn violin concerto in E minor by the young violinist, Cecilia Hansen. Miss Hansen is a joy to look upon before one is completely captivated by her playing. She exhibited a beautiful tone in the Andante, while in the first and last movements her facile technic was uppermost. Her recalls following the number were many and most enthusiastic. The closing number was Ravel's La Valse, which afforded Mr. Monteux another opportunity to present an excellent reading of a modern French composer. This number is definitely a waltz, with a decided rhythmic and melodic charm, but underlaid with a sinister element of tragedy. In parts it might almost have been labelled La Mer, so undulating is the background. Yet the succession of various waltz themes continually overrides this and it dances on to an abrupt climax. The orchestra did some fine work under Mr. Monteux's inspired baton, while both conductor and men received spontaneous approbation at the close.
35LONDON STRING QUARTET
37In the Penn Athletic Club ballroom came the sixth meeting of the season of the Philadelphia Chamber Music Association. The London String Quartet appeared before a large audience awaiting in pleasurable anticipation a confirmation of the impression made by this organization last year. Though the personnel is changed slightly, John Pennington filling the desk of the first violin, the ensemble was of equally as high a standard as formerly. The tone in each voice was remarkably beautiful, the timbre forming a perfection in blending notably smooth and musical. The reading of Dohnanyi's poetic quartet in D flat left nothing to be desired in the interpretation of the emotional and humanistic content, or in clarity of form and line. As a tribute to the centenary of Schubert's death, his quartet in A minor formed the second number on the program, to which the players also gave a very fine reading, though some might question the quickened speed of the Andante. The program closed with two charming little atmospheric pictures by McEwen. The audience received the players with much enthusiasm.
39WILLIAM VAN DEN BURG IN RECITAL
41William Van Den Burg, first cellist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, appeared in his first Philadelphia recital, in the Foyer of the Academy of Music. His program was well balanced and thoroughly enjoyable throughout. Opening with three movements from the sonata No. 3 in C major, by Bach, this was followed by the Adagio and Allegro by Boccherini. All of these were well done, but especially beautiful was his playing of the second movement of the Boccherini group. In the sonata in E minor by Brahms Mr. Van den Burg continued to demonstrate his remarkable artistry both as to interpretation and technic. Harry Kaufman, who accompanied Van den Burg capably throughout, deserves praise for his fine work in this Brahms sonata, where the piano holds such a prominent place. Numbers by Debussy, Glazounoff, and Popper were also delightfully rendered by the soloist. The Symphonic Variations by Boellmann closed a most successful recital.
43FAUST
45The Philadelphia Grand Opera Company presented Faust, successfully, on February 23.
46M. M. C.
48Dr. Carl Gives Bach
50Under the direction of Dr. William C. Carl a Bach Festival Service was given at the First Presbyterian Church, Fifth Avenue and Twelfth Street, New York, on February 26, this being one of Dr. Carl's regular monthly special musical offerings which he has been giving at the church with such notable artistic success for several years. On this occasion selections from the cantatas, Sing for Joy, Sing Unto the Lord a Glad New Song, and God Goeth Up With Shouting, were sung by a largely augmented choir. The soloists were Grace Kerns, soprano; Amy Ellerman, alto; Ernest Davis, tenor; Edgar Schofield, bass, and Dr. Carl himself, who played the toccata and fugue in D minor, cathedral prelude and fugue, and several chorales in the brilliant and scholarly manner that always characterizes all of his performances.
52The Carl choir, as well as the soloists of the First Presbyterian Church, are too well known to require analytical comment at this time. Dr. Carl has succeeded in infusing the forces under his command with his own artistic enthusiasm, and the special musical services at the First Presbyterian Church are always a genuine treat. The performances combine technical excellence with religious solemnity. The spirit of the music given is fully attained, and the tonal quality is extraordinarily fine. Were these performances given in Town Hall or Carnegie Hall they would be recognized as among the outstanding musical events of the season.
54The Costanzi in Rome Renovated
56The work of remodeling the Costanzi theater in Rome has been completed. After a year of labor the theater was newly opened as an opera house on February 23 with a gala performance of Aida, and the theater is now to be known as the Royal Opera House. Attention has been given to every detail, particular stress being laid on the stage, which is now one of the largest in Italy. The scenes move automatically and the dressing rooms are provided with baths. All superfluous additions in the interior have been removed so that there is plenty of room for the crowds that generally gather there. Too, there is a new roof and totally new decorations which the architect, Piacentini, has designed so as to make the theater among the most artistic in the country.
58American Premiere of Puccini's La Rondine, March 10
60The American premiere of La Rondine, lyric comedy in three acts by Giuseppe Adami, music by Giacomo Puccini, will take place at the Metropolitan Opera House, Saturday afternoon, March 10, at 2 o'clock, it is announced. The opera has been musically prepared and will be conducted by Vincenzo Bellezza; Wilhelm von Wymetal has charge of the stage management; the chorus has been rehearsed by Giulio Setti, while the scenery has been designed and painted by Joseph Urban. The cast will be as follows: Magda, Lucrezia Bori; Lisette, Editha Fleischer; Ruggero, Beniamino Gigli; Prunier, Armand Tokatyan; Rambaldo, Pavel Lugikar; Yvette, Charlotte Ryan; Georgette, Mildred Parisette; Bianca, Philine Falco; Gabrielle, Phradie Wells; Suzy, Merle Alcock; Lolette, Dorothea Flexer; Gobin, Giordano Paltrinieri; Perichaud, Millo Picco; Crebillon, James Wolfe; A Young Man, Max Altglass; Three Students, Max Altglass, Giordano Paltrinieri and Pompilio Malatesta.
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